The marketing world is full of chatter about online video. You can’t scroll through your Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feed without bumping into an article that touts the attention-grabbing power of video compared with text or mere still photos. YouTube reports that worldwide, people watch a billion hours of video every day. Every. Freaking. Day.
And that’s just on YouTube. You might have noticed there’s a lot of video in your Instagram feed, your Twitter feed, your Facebook news feed and even on LinkedIn. Have you seen TikTok yet? If you market a business and want your message to be delivered, it’s time to join the video parade.
Granted, the idea of making videos can be a little intimidating. What equipment do I need? What if I’m camera-shy? How much time will it take? You’re breaking into a cold sweat and there are hundreds of questions filling your mind. Fear not. No matter what business you’re in, there are peers somewhere who’ve figured out how to use video in their online marketing. We’ve got proof, and you can follow their examples.
How to use video marketing for a law firm
Leighton Law is a Miami, Florida, law firm that helps folks who are injured due to negligence during a cruise or while parasailing at the beach. It also helps people who are injured by medical malpractice or mistakes. The firm uses video, like this simple “talking head” clip, to help explain what it does, teach people how to avoid problems and to introduce its attorneys.
Home improvement companies can benefit from creating project videos
Chriswell Home Improvements, a contractor near Sacramento, California, uses video to show photos from the start of a project to its completion. The videos contain a series of still photographs (animated with what’s known as the Ken Burns effect) set to music. The company posts the videos to social media, like this:
Video marketing in the manufacturing sector
Bennington Pontoon, an Indiana manufacturer of pontoon boats, uses video in social media and on its website to show its products in use. Bennington’s videos are professionally shot and produced, but this footage coupled with a nifty soundtrack is bound to entice anybody who loves life on the water. In addition to posting its own videos on social media, Bennington posts videos from satisfied customers enjoying their boats.
How a mortgage company engages its audience with video
A mortgage company doesn’t seem nearly as “videogenic” as a boat maker, but Mortgage Investors Group in Tennessee has found a way. Videos like this educate viewers about the company and also introduce them to the people behind the company. It helps prospective customers get to know the business without even talking to someone.
Personal trainers and fitness professionals use video to motivate and inspire
Elite Personal Training & Fitness of Bedford, New Hampshire, used this short video to illustrate a Facebook post. It’s simple and short — probably shot with mobile phone — but it makes the point while creating some empathy — “Hey, that could be me at the gym, too.”
Video marketing helps a local roofer gain trust with potential clients
The final example comes from a long-time Dream Local Digital client, Horch Roofing in Warren, Maine. The cover image on the Horch Roofing Facebook page is a video — shot from a drone — that shows the Horch headquarters and some of the company’s employees. It shares other videos on social media, including this one, in which owner Peter Horch talks about the company’s values and why those values are also important for customers. It’s a simple “talking head” video with some still photos mixed in.
All of these videos are effective in their own way, and they were (relatively) simple to create. There aren’t any movie stars or paid actors, just regular folks like you either talking about their businesses or showing what they do. You can do it, too.
Of course, if you feel like you need help planning your video content or figuring out how to launch your video marketing program, you can contact Dream Local Digital. We’ve got some folks who would be happy to assist.
